Phyllis Beitz

Phyllis Beitz, 76, died April 28, 2006, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center.

Private interment will be at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway.

Phyllis Ann was born on Sept. 30, 1928, to Frank and Mary Fisk at the Pine Valley home of her grandparents, Tom and Willie Harmon. She attended first and second grades at Pine Valley and Grades 3-6 in Baker. Her seventh- through 11th- grade years were spent at San Diego, but she returned to Halfway to graduate in 1946.

After high school, Phyllis moved to San Diego to work at an aeronautical corporation. From 1953 to 1988 she worked for three different mechanical engineers in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M.

Phyllis married Victor Allstead and they had a son, Michael. She later married Jeff Davalos, and they had a son, David Davalos, who was killed in an automobile accident at Pojoaque, N.M., in 1975.

She later married Gregory Beitz and they were married 17 years. In 1988, Phyllis moved to Halfway to care for her mother, Mary Riggs. During her years in Halfway, she was very active in community projects such as the Grange and City Council.

During her life she enjoyed fishing, hunting, arts and crafts, sewing, and gardening.

Phyllis and her family were very appreciative of her friend and caregiver, Cindy Anderson, who they said was andquot;such a blessing.andquot; They expressed appreciation to community members for all of their help.

Survivors include her brother, Don Fisk of Burlington, S.C.; son, Michael, and his wife, Cynthia; granddaughter, Michele of Santa Fe, N.M.; and many cousins, including Mary Jo Rode of Ontario, John Harmon of Yuba City, Calif., and Betty Endicott of Baker City; and friends throughout the country.

Phyllis kept a poem from the andquot;Little House on the Prairieandquot; television program. She asked that this be shared, andquot;Remember me with smiles and laughter, for that is the way I’ll remember you. If you can remember me only with tears, then don’t remember me at all.andquot;

Memorial contributions may be made to the Pine Valley Youth Fund, Pine Valley Baptist Church or the charity of one’s choice through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.

Harriet Walker

Harriet Walker, 98, died on April 11, 2006, at Arcadia, Calif.

With the help of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, Harriet is now resting next to her parents at Cloverdale Cemetery in Boise.

Harriet Hortense Walker, or andquot;Aunt Hortyandquot; as she was affectionately known, was born at home in Nampa, Idaho, on Aug. 8, 1908, to Kate Share Ward and Henry B. Ward. She lost her hearing at the age of 9 months, the result of scarlet fever and whooping cough.

At age 7, Harriet and her mother boarded a train at Nampa on their way to the Idaho State School for the Deaf and Blind in Gooding, Idaho. Harriet remained at this boarding school until graduating from high school, returning home only for Christmas and a short summer break. Harriet won a full scholarship to attend Gallaudet University for the deaf.

After finishing school, Harriet moved to Atlanta, a small mining town in Idaho, where she met and married Elton Walker. Elton was a hearing man and Harriet lived in the hearing world until his death in 1955.

Harriet was extremely proficient at reading lips and was able to make most people understand her, even though her speech was very impaired. While at school, she had been taught first to use sign language and then read lips.

Harriet and Elton lived in Southern California. After Elton’s death, Harriet went to work for Howard Hughes Aircraft and started sharing an apartment in Santa Anna, Calif., with a dear friend, Verna Chesnicki, also a deaf lady.

Many deaf people were employed at Howard Hughes and social clubs for the deaf abounded in Southern California. Consequently, Harriet reentered the world of the deaf, enjoying both her work and an active social life.

For many years Harriet’s vacation time was spent on world tours with Herb’s Tours. Harriet’s travels took her to nearly all of the countries of Europe, including Russia, Asia, South and Central America, Africa and the South Pacific.

She also visited Canada, Nova Scotia, and most of the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. One of her favorite excursions was a trip through the Panama Canal. Harriet even gave a try at living in Italy with her companion, Armand, but decided the United States was the best place for her.

After retiring from Howard Hughes, Harriet remained in Santa Anna until her eyesight began to fail. She then moved to the California Home for Adult Deaf at Arcadia, Calif.

Survivors include five nieces and nephews, including Jo Butler, and her husband, Chuck Butler of Richland. Harriet delighted the Butlers and their friends with a yearly visit while they lived at Oxbow and also Richland.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters and three brothers.

She will always be remembered for her extreme intelligence, zest for life, unending curiosity, classy appearance, loyalty and love of family and a taste for a good glass of wine. Harriett was completely self-sufficient her entire life.

Betty Bond

Betty Bond, 89, a long time resident of Baker City, died April 27, 2006 at St. Elizabeth Health Services.

Visitations will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Gray’s West andamp; Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Her memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the First Presbyterian Church, 1995 Fourth St. Pastor Susan Barnes will officiate. Friends are invited to join the family after the memorial for a reception in the Presbyterian Church’s Rogers Fellowship Hall.

Betty was born on Feb. 11, 1917, at Stubton, England. She was the eldest of six siblings. She was raised and attended school around her birthplace.

In 1943, she met Cliff Bond who was stationed in England during World War II. They were married in England on Oct. 2, 1944.

Betty traveled from England to New York on the Queen Mary with other war brides. She traveled by train to Cliff’s hometown of Baker City. Their four children were born and raised in Baker.

Betty was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Nothing gave her more happiness than being with family. She loved the family cabin on Brownlee Reservoir where she spent hours fishing from the front deck.

Betty loved the beauty of nature. She picked and pressed wildflowers, fed hummingbirds, and enjoyed the wildlife and views surrounding their Wingville home.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Sandy Satterberg, who died in 1990.

Survivors include her husband Cliff and three children and their spouses, Carl and Linda Bond of La Grande, Jean and Tim Fromwiller of La Grande and Ross and Kay Bond of Baker City; 12 grandchildren, Clayton Bond, Carrie Spencer, Travis, Glen, and Amber Fromwiller, Cathy, Jenny, and Stephen Satterberg, Jeff, Casey and Bobby Bond, and Kristi Christensen; 10 great-grandchildren, Devan, Brooks, Connelly, Garrett, Kyle, and Elisabeth Fromwiller, David Bond, Reed and Reagan Bond, and Cameron Spencer.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association through Gray’s West andamp; Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.

Chuck Anderson

Charles andquot;Chuckandquot; Anderson, 57, of Plevna, Mont., a former Baker City resident, died April 30, 2006, at the Fallon Medical Complex in Baker, Mont.

His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Baker United Methodist Church, 1919 Second St., Pastor Jack Bynum of the church will officiate. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There was a service today at Peace Lutheran Church at Plevna, Mont.

Chuck was born on Aug. 6, 1948, at The Dalles to Eldon James and Roberta May Griffin Anderson. He grew up and attended elementary school and high school at Condon, where he graduated in 1966. Chuck attended Central Oregon Community College at Bend where he earned a degree in natural resources.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served during the Vietnam War. After completing military service, Chuck returned to John Day, where he began working in range management for the U.S. Forest Service.

In 1980, he was transferred to Joseph, where he remained until 1993. He enjoyed working in the field with his string of pack mules and going down to The River (his name for the Snake River). After his retirement in 1993, Chuck purchased a ranch in Baker City where he fulfilled a lifelong goal of raising cattle and horses.

While living in Baker City, he met Kathleen Foster. They were married on May 4, 2001. In 2002, they purchased a ranch south of Plevna, Mont., where they had lived since.

Chuck always enjoyed being outdoors, especially in the Hells Canyon area and being around the wildlife. He was passionate about his family and took pride in everything he did. He instilled in his daughters a great respect for life and love. He held a special dedication for his grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife, Kathleen of Plevna; two daughters and their spouses, Mandie and Ian Reed of Harlowton, Mont., and Paddie and Michael Cape of Amity; his mother, Roberta Williams of Culver; two stepsons, Chad Oster, and his wife, Kristy, of Bigfork, Mont., and Collin Cruickshank of Eugene; a stepdaughter, Andrea Cruickshank of Shreveport, La.; five grandchildren, Riley and Eric Reed, Abigail Cape and Colton and Kyler Oster; a brother, Kevin, and his wife, Renee-Vaughan Anderson, of Bend; and a sister, Susan, and her husband, Rick Cornett, of Moses Lake, Wash.

He was preceded in death by his father, Eldon.

Remembrances and condolences may be made to the family at this Web site: www.stevensonfuneralhome.com. Gray’s West andamp; Co. is in charge of Baker City arrangements.

Rose McCarver

Rose Mary McCarver, 82, of Ontario, a former Richland resident, died May 1, 2006, at her home.

Her memorial graveside funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Evergreen Cemetery in Ontario. The Rev. Robert C. Irwin will preside.

Rose was born on June 24, 1923, at Ironside. She attended Vale schools. She married William McCarver on Sept. 21, 1940, at Payette, Idaho. They ran a sawmill and trucking company at Ironside.

In 1954 the family moved to Ontario where they had a dairy on the Oregon Slope. Later they moved to Richland, where they had a ranch. The family moved back to Ontario where she worked in area nursing homes and later was a sales clerk for The Merc Department Store.

She loved to garden, knit and crochet, making a number of items for her family.

Survivors include four daughters and sons-in-law, Diana and Bob Hite-Snyder of Kettle Falls, Wash., Anna Jean and Harvey Kindall of Livingston, Mont., Maxine and DeWayne Keller of Ontario and Margaret and Don Hinman of Colorado Springs, Colo.; a son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Kathy McCarver of Ontario; a sister and brother-in-law, Wanda and Carl Montgomery of Pendleton; 11 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her mother, Esther Ann Anderson; an infant son; and a son-in-law, Omar andquot;Sonnyandquot; Hite.

Memorial contributions may be made to Boys Town or the American Heart Association through Lienkaemper Chapels Inc., P.O. Box 970, Ontario, OR 97914.

George Chadwick

L. George Chadwick, 90, of Union, a former Baker County resident, died May 1, 2006, at his home.

Visitations will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., in La Grande. His memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the Union Baptist Church. Private family interment was at the Cove Cemetery.

L. George Chadwick was born on Jan. 16, 1916, at Cove to Lynn and Georgeanna Miller Chadwick. He attended the Shanghai schoolhouse in Cove, graduated from Cove High School and later attended Eastern Oregon Normal School (Eastern Oregon University at La Grande) for one year.

He married Leora Titus on July 3, 1938, at Cove. The couple rode for the Cove Cattleman’s Association for 11 years and later moved to Muddy Creek where they operated a ranch from 1950 to 1956. Together they later moved to Baker City where George was employed with the U.S. Forest Service.

He worked out of the Union District and later finished his 35 years of employment at the La Grande Air Center. George was an active member of the Union Baptist Church where he helped build the new church.

He loved the mountains and horses and was an excellent packer. George enjoyed music, and most of all, he loved his family, friends and children of all ages. He will always be remembered as a true people person.

Survivors include his wife, Leora of Union; a daughter and her husband, Lyndalin and Phil Kinsella of Washington; a foster son and his wife, Le Moyne and Chuck Titus of Cascade, Idaho; five grandchildren, Toni, Rick, Teri, Jeremy and Thomas; seven great-grandchildren, Jake, Beau, Mariah, Casey, M’Randa, Ryan and MaKenna; and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Virgil Chadwick.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Union Baptist Church, Grande Ronde Hospital Hospice or the charity of one’s choice through Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande, OR 97850. To view the obituary, sign the guest book or leave a condolence on-line, visit, www.danielschapel.com.

Patrick Rehbein

Patrick George Rehbein Sr., 66, of Haines, died May 2, 2006, at his home.

His graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Haines Cemetery. Sister Kay Marie Duncan will officiate. Military honors will be provided by the National Guard.

Patrick was born on March 17, 1940, at Portland to Rudolph G. and Leona E. Cerotsky Rehbein. He was raised at Estacada, where he attended school.

In 1958, Patrick joined the U.S. Air Force. After his service in the military, Patrick worked as a cook. While traveling through Baker City in 1976, he met Katherine Schuh Williams.

The couple were married on July 11, 1977, at Baker City where Patrick had begun working for the Union Pacific Railroad. He retired from Union Pacific and started working for U.S. Timber.

Anytime the weather permitted, Patrick was outside. He loved the outdoors, including camping, hunting and fishing.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Rudolph G. and Leona E. Rehbein

Survivors include his wife of 28 years, Katherine Rehbein of Haines; five children, Patrick D. Rehbein Jr. and his wife, Nellie C., of Baker City, Duane E. Rehbein of McMinnville, Vincent H. Williams and his wife, Ashleigh, of Albany, Kristi Berg and her husband, Tim, of El Cajon, Calif., and John E. Chaney and his wife, Lorraine, of White Salmon, Wash.; 11 grandchildren; a brother, retired Chief Master Sgt. Rudolph L. Rehbein Jr. and his wife, Velma, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; a sister, Sharon Curtis of Portland; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to Pathway Hospice or the Mountain States Tumor Institute Clinic of Fruitland, Idaho, through Gray’s West andamp; Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.

Duane Smith

Duane Stuart Stadman Smith, 74, of Caldwell, Idaho, a former Baker City resident, died May 1, 2006, at his home.

Cremation is under the direction of Dakan Funeral Chapel of Caldwell.

Duane was born on March 17, 1932, at Baker City.

So many words come to mind to describe this gentle, caring, witty charismatic cowboy, his family said. He was a husband, dad, grandfather, brother, cousin and friend. He was an artist, rodeo clown, painter, jokester, woodcarver, toy craftsman, animal lover and avid gardener.

andquot;Our best memories of Dad are of growing up in Lovelock, Nev., riding horses, playing with Powder, catching catfish on the Humboldt, shooting down the Red Baron from the sky, eating sweet peas from his garden and eating at the Model T,andquot; his family said.

Duane and his wife, Kaye, made a home for stray cats and loved to garden together.

Duane’s favorite hobby in his later years was with his Caldwell Model Railroad Club. He made many wonderful friendships with his train buddies even though he tried to sabotage and derail their trains! He will be remembered each day when they look at the beautiful scenery background he painted. Duane will be greatly missed by them.

Survivors include his wife, Kaye Heard Smith of Caldwell; his children, Duff Stadman and his fiancee, Lisa, of Spokane, Wash., Dani Sabens and her husband, Doug, of Salem, Ind., Dana Pendergrass and her husband, Randy, of Valleyford, Wash., and Dena Smith of Medical Lake, Wash.; Kaye’s children, Mason Myers and his wife, Becky, of Spring, Texas, and Kitty Leigh Shipman and her husband, Bobby, of Plainview, Texas; 10 grandchildren from his children, Tyrel and Chantell Stadman, Kurtis and Brett Walters/Sabens, Jay, Kassey and Chelsie Pendergrass, Laci and Rhesah Reddig/Smith and Braedenn Smith; and Kaye’s family, Karen Denny, Brian Moore, Gabriella DeMario and Austin and Rilee Myers; sister and brother-in-law, Sharon and Butch Vermillion of La Grande; brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Theresa Smith of Union; a cousin, JerryLou Gerber of La Grande; six great-grandchildren and one on the way; and many other relatives.

He was preceded in death by his father, Basil Stadman; his stepfather, Gordon Smith; his mother, Noreen Smith; and his brother, John Smith.

Jack Wendt

Jack Wendt, 79, of Baker City, died April 27, 2006, at his home after a short illness.

His memorial service will take place Monday, May 8 at 1 p.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pastor Lenny Spooner of Baker City Church of the Nazarene will officiate. At 2 p.m. there will be a gathering at the Baker City Golf Club for family and friends to remember Jack.

Jack was born March 16, 1927, in Baker City to William and Margaret Romig Wendt. He had one older brother, William (Bill), who still resides in Baker City.

Jack grew up in Baker City, attending Baker High School and graduating with the class of 1945. He was on the high school basketball and football teams. He left high school to join the Navy in March of 1945 and received an honorable discharge in April of 1946. After the service he attended Oregon State University and received a bachelor of science degree in horticulture.

Jack returned to Baker City to own and operate Baker City Floral andamp; Seed Co., which many local residents remember as the greenhouses that were located out on Campbell Street. He loved working in the greenhouses and helping his friends and customers with their planting needs. It was there he married his first wife, Sherry Powell, and raised his family of four children: Zoe Ann, David, Robert and Jaci. They later moved to Portland and were divorced.

In Portland, Jack went to work in the wholesale floral business. It was there that he met his lifelong companion and best friend, Joan Fritz, a local florist. They were married on June 6, 1970. He took on the father role again with Joan’s two young children, Ron and Julie, whom he raised as if they were his own. Jack spent much of his spare time coaching Pony Colt baseball. He was also well-known as a referee for high school and college basketball and football. He loved being a referee and did so until his health made him unable to keep doing so.

In 1975, Jack moved his family back to Baker City to own and operate the family floral business, Wendts Floral andamp; Arts, which later became Wendts Floral Designs. They built a beautiful home overlooking Baker Valley on Mill Creek. Besides working in the flower shop he also worked in the wholesale floral business until he retired in 1993. Wendts Floral Designs was sold in 1992.

Jack’s favorite pastimes included playing golf, listening to Rush Limbaugh and tending to his yard and beautiful flowers. Everyday you could drive past his home and see him busily puttering in his yard, which gave him so much enjoyment. He also loved spending time with his youngest grandchildren, Aubrey and Wyatt, who affectionately referred to him as andquot;Papa.andquot; Papa will be greatly missed by us all, we will try our best to keep everything up to his standards and know he will be watching to make sure that we do!

Survivors include his wife of 36 years, Joan Wendt; his brother, William Wendt; children and their spouses: Ron and Donna Fritz, Julie and Francis DeRoest, Zoe Ann and Bill Vineyard, David Wendt, Robert Wendt, Jaci Adams and Melody Wendt; 16 grandchildren: Aubrey and Wyatt DeRoest; Trinity Kretz; Tracy, Margie, Alex and Scott Vineyard; Zechariah, Andrew and Rebecca Wendt; James, Heath and Kirsten Adams; Jason and Mandy Lewicki; and Michele Sanborn; and one great-grandchild, Chase Sanborn; nephews, Joe Wendt and his wife, Linda, and Brian Wendt.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, William and Margaret Wendt; and by an aunt, Gladys Phy.

Contributions in Mr. Wendt’s memory may be directed to the Oregon Trail Regional Museum. This may be done through Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814.